Muscat: Oman’s maritime history across the ages embodies a deeply rooted cultural and civilizational legacy, establishing the nation as a pioneering seafaring power and a bridge for intercultural communication, dialogue, and peace with diverse peoples worldwide. This heritage presents a distinguished civilizational portrait of the Omani people across all spheres of human endeavor.
According to Oman News Agency, an examination of Oman’s ancient maritime legacy clearly reveals the enduring impact of core Omani values-integrity, honesty, and benevolent conduct. Their imprint remains visible today across Africa, India, China, and the islands of Southeast Asia, having played a pivotal role in consolidating human, religious, and cultural bonds. Consequently, Omani maritime history serves as a source of inspiration for successive generations in entrenching the principles of tolerance, cooperation, and openness.
The report details the defining features of Omani maritime history, its key geographical and symbolic milestones, and explores the contributions of pivotal figures and initiatives in building this heritage. It further examines how the Sultanate of Oman leverages this civilizational asset to bolster its contemporary global presence through soft power and cultural diplomacy.
Sheikh Hamoud bin Hamad Al Ghailani, a researcher in Omani maritime history, stated to the Oman News Agency (ONA) that every nation possesses its distinct culture. Oman, as an integral part of the global community, cannot disregard this cultural dimension, which manifests through both individual and collective mobility, inevitably involving a process of mutual influence with other nations, albeit to varying degrees of impact.
He emphasized that the Omani influence was distinctly evident in the dissemination of Islam, particularly across East Africa. This propagation was not achieved through coercion but was founded upon principled discourse, exemplary treatment, sincere cooperation, and trustworthiness. The genuine conviction of Omani Muslims notably attracted many Africans to Islam, as illustrated by narratives such as that of Al-Amri and the King of Uganda concerning a sacrificial rite, alongside similar accounts from India, China, and Southeast Asia.
He noted that historical influences of Omanis and Arabs in India included the Zamorin Raja of Calicut adopting Muslim attire despite his Hindu faith. In East Africa, the Omani cultural impact is evidenced by the emergence of an Arabic-language press, including publications such as Al-Najah, Al-Nadi, Al-Falaq, Al-Nahda, Al-Ummah, Al-Islah, and the Official Gazette.
Regarding the Omani contribution to knowledge, he explained that scientific knowledge, particularly that derived from empirical practice, exerts a more profound and enduring influence. Through their extensive seafaring experiences, Omanis accumulated significant expertise, culminating in numerous scholarly works. The legacy of navigators like Ahmed bin Majid, his Omani predecessors such as Yazid Al-Omani, Ismail bin Ibrahim bin Mardas, Jaafar bin Lakis, and the contributions of Kutah, who charted maritime routes, provided foundational knowledge adopted by numerous nations who engaged Omani captains.
He highlighted the direct role of Omanis in spreading Islam across regions they reached, including China, Southeast Asia, India, and East Africa. In all these areas, Islam was disseminated through virtuous conduct, steadfast integrity, and refined ethics, countering narratives that its spread was reliant on military conquest.
The Omani presence in East Africa, he noted, assumed a unique character, remaining a tangible and living exemplar to this day. The era of Sayyid Said bin Sultan and the robust Omani presence offers a rich case study in the propagation of Islam, the Arabic language, and Omani customs and traditions.
He added that during Sayyid Said bin Sultan’s reign, Zanzibar evolved into a hub of Islamic and Arab influence throughout East Africa. Islam spread primarily via Arab, particularly Omani, trading caravans. Among these Omani traders, renowned for their Islamic ethics, were missionary merchant sheikhs like Khamis bin Juma, instrumental in the conversion of Muteesa I, alongside Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Obaid bin Hamoud, Hamad bin Mohammed Al-Marjabi, and Obaidullah bin Salim Al-Khadhouri.
He pointed out that Omani maritime activity has historically fulfilled multiple roles. The voyages of Omani vessels established economic and diplomatic ties with ancient civilizations, including those of the Indus Valley, Mesopotamia, and Pharaonic Egypt, later extending to East Africa and China. These interactions forged enduring relationships that persist today, subsequently strengthening diplomatic relations with brotherly and friendly nations.
Regarding the utilization of this maritime heritage as a form of soft power, Dr. Saleh bin Mohammed Al-Fahdi, Member of the State Council, told the Oman News Agency (ONA) that Omani maritime history constitutes a fundamental component of the nation’s ancient heritage, instrumental in shaping the Omani character, its value system, principles, and outlook. This is fundamentally rooted in Oman’s strategic geographical location, a significant divine endowment.
He elaborated that Oman has, since antiquity, served as a crucial nexus connecting the world’s continents and linking East and West. Its privileged position attracted the attention of seafaring peoples and international traders. The ports of Muscat, Sohar, Qalhat, Sur, Samharam, Mirbat, and others functioned as vital hubs for reprovisioning, commercial exchange, and respite from arduous sea journeys, profoundly facilitating interaction between Omanis and peoples of diverse ethnicities, races, and cultural backgrounds.
History records the Omanis as masters of the seas, he stated, who traversed oceans reaching as far as China-a formidable achievement in the pre-Christian era. Chinese annals from ruling dynasties specifically document Omanis as the first Arabs to reach China, notably the port of Canton (modern-day Guangzhou).
He affirmed that the Omani people are inherently open to other cultures, tolerant, and integrate with others effortlessly, guided by their refined morals, honesty, and equitable dealings. These qualities distinguished them and garnered the interest of other societies, thereby facilitating the spread of Islam and its tolerant principles.
The Omani individual, he believes, has consistently been a source of soft power throughout history, owing to a character defined by high ethics, benevolent intentions, and noble objectives. This has cemented the historical image of Oman, shaped by its contributions to the advancement of nations and peoples in India, East Africa, and China, with enduring evidence remaining visible today.
He confirmed that mosques built by Omanis in China remain in use for prayers, reflecting the positive legacy of the Omani people through the centuries. The Omani was never perceived as an aggressor, oppressor, colonizer, or exploiter of others’ wealth, but rather as a bearer of a lofty message, noble values, and authentic ethics.
He clarified that Oman’s ancient maritime history itself constitutes a genuine asset of Omani soft power. Leveraging every facet of this history-its milestones, accomplishments, and narratives-will undoubtedly enrich the Omani culture that forms the national identity.
Regarding Omani nautical knowledge and its role in civilizational and commercial exchange throughout history, Khalid bin Ali Al Mukhaini, a maritime researcher, told the Oman News Agency (ONA) that the sea for Omanis was far more than a vast blue expanse; it represented destiny, identity, and a grand academy that shaped their civilizational trajectory. Oman’s geography, with its coastline along three major bodies of water and a desert interior that pushed inhabitants seaward during droughts, compelled its people to embrace the waves. The sea became a conduit for sustenance, livelihood, and global interaction, fostering the emergence of Omanis as pioneers in navigation, shipbuilding, and as merchants transporting goods and aspirations between East and West.
Omani sailors, he added, inherited and refined sophisticated navigational expertise over generations. They celestial-navigated using stars, interpreted weather patterns to forecast rains and storms, and mastered the monsoon winds, which were crucial for their commercial prosperity. They meticulously documented knowledge of tides, straits, and islands, learning to read the sea like an open text-predicting storms from shifts in water colour or the flight of migratory birds. This prowess enabled global voyages and the production of detailed manuscripts and navigational almanacs that preserved their science.
On maritime instrumentation and geography, he indicated that Omani navigators employed traditional tools to conquer the unknown: the marine astrolabe, Ibn Majid’s bearing tablets (“al-Khashabat”), and the compass for direction-finding. The “Balad” (lead line), a rope with a tallowed lead weight, was used for depth-sounding and assessing seabed composition for anchoring. The hourglass and “Al-Batili” log were utilized for speed measurement, with later adoption of European charts and solar altitude observations.
He affirmed that Oman’s unique location at the confluence of the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea, and Arabian Gulf, endowed with extensive coasts and natural harbors, proved instrumental. The sea served as both an open textbook and a constant instructor, its lessons deepening with each voyage and return.
This specialized knowledge, he noted, underpinned the flourishing of Oman’s trade with the East and West. The predictable monsoon winds made journeys safer and more economical. Omani vessels carried spices, timber, ivory, and gold from India and East Africa, returning laden with dates, copper, and horses. Consequently, the ports of Sur, Muscat, Sohar, Qalhat, and Mirbat transformed into vibrant international hubs, teeming with activity and commerce.
Dr. Badriya bint Mohammed Al Nahbani, a historian and academic, informed the Oman News Agency (ONA) that the “Jewel of Muscat” project was initiated to revive the 9th-century maritime